Method and means for applying legends or designs to tires



J. A. McLA NE; METHOD AND MEANS FOR APPLYING LEGENDS on DESIGNS T0 TIRES. APPLICATLON FILED MAR. I, 1920.

1,371,501. I PatentedMar. 15,1921.

- wnsr VIRGINIA.

. a new and useful Method N D-STAT S PATENTI- v OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. HGLANE, OF -MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE MOB- I com) RUBBER comrm',

nn'rnon AND To all' whom it mag concern." 1

Be it known that I, J OSEPH A. McLANE, a citizen (of the United States, residing at Morgantowmin the countyof Monongalia and State of West Vir inia, have invented and Means for Applying Legends or'Desi us to Tires, of which the following is a. speci cation. i

This means or effecting any design on rubber articles, walls of tire, tire casings or, shoes- So far as is known, the trade name ofthe tire, the name of themaker and designs have been provided on the outer surface of tires, by depressed orpro'ected characters permanently formed on t e inner face of. the tire mold, whereby the corresponding impres- 'sions are transferred to the outer surface of legends or design needs or rovided'on the outer surface'of mg to the desire of the particular the tire while being cured or vulcanized. It

is also understood that it has been proposed to provide legends andldesi us on tires by applying labelsof vulcaniza lerubber 'hav-.

ing the desired legend or design thereon, the.

tag or sheet of rubber being vulcanized to I the tire'walliin a suitable manner.

In practice, however, it oftenv occurs that dealers or an individual order ng a" supply of tires desires a certain distinctive legend or design on the tires in order to distinguish their goods on the market or to meet the fancies of the individual purchaser. w

As the molds'which are necessary in the making of these tires are very expensive, it is impracticable,expensive and unexpedient to haveseparate molds for'the difierentcus' tomer requiring I distinctive legends or desl ns' -Iv I I".

t is the purpose fore, to provide a method and a nieans applicable to all molds, I use,.by which any legend or design may be urchas'er, Furthermore, the invention provi es for the to'be of any desired or contrasting color, to be in relief or-intaglio It is thefurther ob ect an as above set forth, foreconomically carrying the invention mto practice and which is practicable and simple.

The method of applying-a selected legend resent invention is amethod and desired legend or preferably the side 7 of the invention, thereincluding those now' in' tires accord- I "of a tire mold equipped with the means for the matrix-holder or. moI wANrowN, WEST VIRGINIA, A conrona'rron or Irms ron APPLYING LEGENDS on nnsrens 'ro TIRES.

I Specification of Letters-Patent. Patentefl Ma -$15, 1921, Application fil ed March 1, 1920. Serial No. 882,520.

,or designto the outer surface of tires, accordthe tire is;vulcanized or cured, a matrix or matriii-holder having'the desired legend or design thereon. It is preferred at present,

however, to, form the matrix-holder of hard non-vulcanizable rubber; but, first, settin into the holder while in its unvulcanize state thedesired arran ement of separate matrix units. The hol er is then vulcanized and the matrix units securely embedded therein withtheir grooved or recessed faces flush with a. surface of the holder. It is, also, within thescope of the invention to press, stamp or cut the legend or design into a block or plate of hard rubber,. fiber,'metal or other suitable material, thus eliminating the use of separate matrix units.

In either case, the grooved or recessed tion with-the outer surface of the tire. From I faces of the matrices are then filled with vulcanizable rubber stock, which may be colored.

this point on, the process is coupled with. the I usual curing or vulcanizing process of the tire itself during'which the rubberstock in the recesses of the matrices fuses or coalesces with the rubber stock of the tire and becomes.

an integral, permanent partof the tire. When the tire is removedfrom the mold it bears the selected legend' or design. Of

course, it is within the purview of the inven tion to have the legend or design in relief or I intaglio I The foregoing 'present method and in the accompany 111g. drawings a means is shown by whichthe method is carried out,

Referring particularly to the drawingsI: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevat on carrying out the present invention,

Fig.2 is a Fig? is a horizontal section view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of having matrices assembled therein, and I Fig. 5 is a modified form of matrix and holder shown in Fig; 4.

statesithe. steps of the l fragmentary section view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

holders 12 slightly beyond the surface instead of being flush therewith, as shown and the block or holder 12 block 12 is The means disclosed in the drawings comprises a matrix holder 12, of suitable material, preferably hard vulcanized rubber, removably and fittedly received in a recess 10, formed inthe inner surface of the usual tire mold. The inner exposed face, of the holder is formed to take the same contour as that of the walls of the mold. The holder 12 has embedded therein matrix units 13 which are arrangedto form any suitable legend or de-- sign. These matrix units 13 are, preferably, of metal having grooved or recessed faces 14, which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, are flush with the inner face of the holder. The grooves or recesses of the matrices are to be packed "with rubber stok which will coalesce with the rubber stock of the tire, during the curing process of the tire. The matrices arranged, 'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, will of course produce the legend or design-in relief on the surface of the tire. In some'instances, it may be desirable to have the legend or design in intaglio, and in such event the matrices 13 are projected of the holder 12,

in Figs. 2 and 4.

In Fig. 5, an'embodiment is shown, wherein, the holder or block 12 has the'legend or design stamped, cut or pressed therein. The matrices are to be packed with rubber stock removably inserted in the recess 10 in the mold, after the manner just described. 7

It is understood that the holder 12 or and, therefore, with the rubber stock of the tire during the tire curing process.

In order to permit the easy removal of the and 12 from the tire mold, it has been provided with a slot 4 extending from the outer surface of the mold and communieating with the recess therein, so that pressure may be applied against the back of the holder to force the latter from said recess.

The holders 12 and 12, bearing the desired legend or design, after being used for one order of tires, maybe held 1n reserveuntil renewal order is called for; or, it may be discarded, after recovering the matrix units '13 therefrom, with little loss.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides for any desired legend or design, or both, to be applied to tires, during the'processmakingn without requiring separate molds for tires bearing the difl'ere'nt legends or designs. 4

It is to .be understood that the invention, in its broad conception, is not limited to. the specific steps of' the method and details of construction above shown and described, ex-

cept as specifically stated in the claims, as

certain changes in the precise steps of the method and of hard non-vulcanized rubberwill not coalesce or vulcanize.

rubber stock details of construction and com what I claim to be new and desire to obtain 7 Letters Patent upon is:

1. A method of affixing selected legends or designs to articles, which'consists in arranging a plurality of matrix units in a matrix holder to form the selected legend or design; then'a'pplying to the surface of the matrix vulcanizable material, and subsequently arranging the matrix holder in. juxta-relation to 'the"article, and then subjectino' the article to a vulcanizing process.

2. 1 method of aflixing selected legends or designs to rubber articles, during their molding or vulcanization; consisting in filling the surface of a matrix bearing the selected legend or design with vulcanizable rubber stock, in arranging the matrix within'a moldto be in juxta -relation to the article; and then subjecting the article, contained in the mold, toa molding; or vulcanizing' process, on the surface of the matrix will adhere or, coalesce with the rubber stockof the article.

3. A method of aflixing selected legends or designs to rubber articles; consisting in arranging a matrix in rubber stock and then which the article may be'contained and po- 10 sitioning it so that the matrix thereof will lie in juxta-relation to, the article, and then subjecting the mold containing the article to a molding or vulcanizingiprooess,

4. A method of afiixi-ng selected legends 10 or designs to -r-ubber articles; consisting'in arranging a plurality of matrix units in Boas to effect the desired legend or design; then vulcanizing said stock to a non-vuleanizable condition, thus 11 forming a matrix holder to maintain the matrix units in position; in-removably placing said holder in -a =mold in which the article may be contained, and positioning it so that the matrics thereof will be in juxta- 11 relation to thearticle; and subjecting the mold containing the article to molding or vulcaniz'in'g process.

5. A method of aflixing selected legends 0r designs to rubber articles; arranging a. plurality of matrix units in rubber stock so as to efi'ect the desired legend or design; then vulcanizing said stock to a non-vulcaniza'ble condition, thus forming a matrix matrix units in osition in filling the matrix with vulcanizable rubber; then placing said holder in a' mold in which the article may be contained, and positioning it so that the matrices thereof whereby the; rubber stock 90 consisting in 12 holder to maintain the will be in juxta relation to the article; and then subjecting the niold containing the article to molding or V111? canizing process whereby the rubber stock on the surface of the matrices will adhere or coalesce with the rubber stock of the article.

6. Means by which selected legends or designs may be applied to rubber'articles comprising, in combination, a mold for the artlcle having a recess 1n 1ts molding surfaces, a matr1x-1nsert removably fitted 1n the recess and having the legend or design thereon to oppose the article receivable in mold, said mold further having means accessible from the exterior thereof through which the matrix maybe ejected from the comprising, 1n combination, a mold for the article having a recess in its molding surfaces, and a matrix holder'havmg a plurality of matrix-units secured therein to effeet the selected legend or design, said holder being removably fitted in said recess of the mold and having its inner faceshaped to conform to the molding surface "of the mold, the matrix-units bemg positionedito oppose the surface of the article, when in the\mold,

8. Means b which selected legends or designs may e applied to rubber articles comprising, in combination, a mold for the article having .a recess in its molding surfaces, and' a matrix holder havin a' plurality of matrix-units secured therem to effect the selected legend or design, said holder being removably fitted in said recess of the mold, the matrix-units having their faces grooved to receive vulcanizable rubber-stock and positioned to oppose the surface-of the article, when in the mold.

'In' testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand.

, JOSEPH A. MCLANE. 

